Focal Point Seminar on the United Nations: Professor Katy Crossley-Frolick

ISP 101-205: Focal Point Seminar

United Nations

Winter 2007-MWF, 10:50-11:50

Dr. Katy Crossley-Frolick
990 W. Fullerton, Suite 2107 Phone: 773.325.4711; E-mail: kcrossle@depaul.edu
Office hours: Mondays & Wednesdays noon-2pm and by appointment

Course Objectives: At a time when the United Nations (UN) is the subject of much scrutiny, debate and even scorn in the United States, this course will explore the organization in a nuanced manner so that students have a less superficial understanding of the UN and how it must operate in a dynamic and fluid international system. The goal is twofold: one, to demonstrate that the UN is but one of a series of experiments to establish a system of collective security and cultivate permanent peace among states and two, to illustrate the evolutionary process of multilateral arrangements. Thus, the course focuses on the UN as a mechanism for solving the problems of war and anarchy in the international system and as a forum for fostering peace, security and justice among states. To that end we will examine the organization's moral, intellectual, political and historical roots; the structure and specialized agencies of the UN; the tension between state sovereignty and multilateral approaches to solving global problems; the conflict between UN ideals of peace and justice and state behavior based on calculations of power, interest, and influence.

Required Texts/Reports:

Peter Baehr & Leon Gordenker, The United Nations: Reality and Ideal, Palgrave 2005. (noted as Baehr & Gordenker on the syllabus) BOOKSTORE, LPC

Charter of the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, United Nations Department of Public Information BOOKSTORE, LPC

Plus, there are numerous documents that you must download AND print via the course Blackboard. All documents are posted under "External Links" tab.

Some Things To Remember:

WRITTEN WORK: All writing assignments should be prepared with attention to both substance and detail. Check spelling and grammar more than once before you turn in your work. Late work will be docked one full letter grade for each day it is late, including weekends. After 5 days an automatic zero will be recorded. All work must be submitted two forms: hard copy and electronic copy via the Digital Dropbox. All papers are run through a plagiarism detection program. Do not submit anything to my e-mail address because I will not read it. Similarly, do not submit anything to my department mailbox-I will not read it. If you will not be in class due to illness or another pre-arranged excused absence, you are nonetheless required to turn in your work — on time — via the use of the Digital Dropbox at Blackboard. Plan ahead so that emergencies and unanticipated technical complications that come up (examples: your computer breaks down, your internet connection is disabled, your printer runs out of ink/paper etc., etc...) do not prevent you from turning in work on time. These are not valid excuses. If you are unfamiliar with the use of the Digital Dropbox, you need to learn. Papers submitted this way must be in Word or RTF format. If you submit it in the wrong format and I have to track you down to resubmit it in a form that is readable you will automatically be docked 5 points for the assignment.

CLASSROOM DECORUM: Show courtesy to fellow students. They are here to learn too. Disruptive behavior (e.g. tardiness, getting up to use the bathroom) affects the entire class. Please turn off all cell phones, pagers, iPODS and any other electronic device used for communication/entertainment. Finally, attend class on-time. Late arrival is not only rude to fellow classmates, but will prevent you from getting the most out of the class.

ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION: Attendance is mandatory and class participation is important. You will be asked to sign in during every class. If you fail to sign in, you will be counted as absent. If you must miss class (serious illness, traffic court, religious holiday) let me know as soon as possible. Be prepared to present documentation if I request it (e.g. doctor's note, court summons). Traffic jams, oversleeping, other work are not valid excuses. The policy for this course is that your participation grade will drop a full letter grade (e.g. B- to C-) for each unexcused absence after the first two. 6 or more absences (or 20% of the course) will result in an automatic, non-negotiable "F" as a final grade for the course. You are responsible for any material covered in your absence. Do not ask me if you missed anything "important"-every class is important and every time you miss it is detrimental to your grade.

ALSO . . . You should come to class prepared to discuss the readings, not simply occupy a seat. Learning requires that you develop the ability to incorporate textual material, whether or not we discuss it, into your understanding of the subject. You will not be able to pass this course without attending class, actively participating and reading the assigned materials. The reading volume will be heavy at times so you must plan ahead and carefully budget your time. Don't wait until the night before to read or to begin a paper. A steady-state approach beats last minute panic. A good rule of thumb is spending two hours out of class preparing for every hour in class. For this class it means that you should spend 2 hours preparing for every class session. If you are spending less, you are probably not doing enough.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY: Copying materials from another source (purchased papers online, journal, books, another student), without proper acknowledgement is considered cheating. It will result in an automatic grade of F for the course regardless of the quality of your other class work.

If you are uncertain about how to cite sources ask before you turn in your work. Plagiarism is defined in the Student Handbook. It reads as follows: "Plagiarism: Plagiarism is a major form of academic dishonesty involving the presentation of the work of another as one's own. Plagiarism includes but is not limited to the following:

1. The direct copying of any source, such as written and verbal material, computer files, audio disks, video programs or musical scores, whether published or unpublished, in whole or part, without proper acknowledgement that it is someone else's.
2. Copying of any source in whole or part with only minor changes in wording or syntax, even with acknowledgement.
3. Submitting as one's own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report or other assignment that has been prepared by someone else. This includes research papers purchased from any other person or agency.
4. The paraphrasing of another's work or ideas without proper acknowledgement. Plagiarism, like other forms of academic dishonesty, is always a serious matter. If an instructor finds that a student has plagiarized, the appropriate penalty is at the instructor's discretion. Actions taken by the instructor do not preclude the college or the university from taking further punitive action including dismissal from the university."

REQUIREMENTS: Your final grade will be calculated based on the following components:

• Attendance, participation, discussion leadership: 15%
• UN Simulation (preparation & participation): 20%
• Essays:
  • #1 draft= 10% (approx. 6 pages)
  • #1 final copy=10%
  • #2 simulation briefing paper=25% (approx. 8-9 pages)
  • #3 20% (approx. 7-8 pages)

Essays & Simulation: Topics to be announced. These papers will be assigned three times throughout the quarter and will become progressively more demanding in terms of analytical requirements and writing expectations. You are only to use materials assigned in the course or official UN documents/publications to write these papers. Details concerning the simulation will be provided separately. Your second writing assignment is tied to the simulation.

Finally . . . if you feel that you are falling behind in the class, you are confused about the material or you have any other questions/concerns/comment about the course and/or its content, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope that each one of you will drop by my office at least once during the quarter, even if it is just to touch base.

GRADING GUIDELINES:

An "A" is earned for extraordinary performance. It is reserved for work that is well beyond the undergraduate level and offers new insight. Written work will display a comprehensive understanding of the issues, analytical sophistication, and arguments are cogent with supporting ideas and evidence. Participation indicates that the student is prepared all the time if called on and contributes ideas and/or questions that go beyond the readings.

A "B" is earned for better than average performance, but no new insight is added. Written work is organized and provides arguments that are well supported. The student attends all class periods and demonstrates that he/she has read the material and can effectively summarize it.

A "C" is earned for solid, college level performance. In such instances, the minimum requirements are met. Written work displays adequate organization and understanding of ideas, but arguments are generally oversimplified and/or superficial. The student does not volunteer, but only speaks when called on, remains silent during group discussions, and often cannot demonstrate that he/she has read all the assignments.

A "D" is earned for less than satisfactory performance. Written work is poorly organized and ideas are expressed in an incoherent and/or simplistic manner. Sloppy grammatical and spelling errors render the writing difficult to understand. The student does not volunteer, cannot answer questions when asked, keeps silent during class discussions and merely occupies a seat.

An "F" is earned for work that does not address the assignment or in instances when the student chooses to not turn in work. The student is frequently absent and does not contribute to class discussion.

Course Reading and Assignment Schedule: subject to change!

(readings for week should be completed by the start of each week)

** Paper #3 due during the final exam time period. We will not meet during the final exam period, however, your paper is due promptly at 8:45am on Thursday, March 15th 2007 in the Digital Dropbox.